We’re all cooped up in our homes, loving our neighbors by keeping six feet away and not gathering with anybody we don’t live with. But whether our churches are streaming their services (in otherwise empty sanctuaries) or whether our congregations are simply not meeting for the next while, we need to draw near to God, […]
After the Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre
Monday Morning I’m at the Starbucks at the corner of Forbes and Shady. I walked here from my home in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. On the way I passed two very grand synagogues. If I’d walked a few blocks further I’d be at the Tree of Life. I wore black. During services Saturday a man […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (conclusion): Religionless Christianity vs Religionfull Christianity
Today I’m wrapping up my series on “How to Have a Good First Visit to an Orthodox Church.” Six posts, not counting this one. (Click here to start at the beginning.) If you are a Protestant that probably sounds a bit like overkill. You know newbies don’t need much help when they visit your church. […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (pt. 6): Hearing vs Multi-Sensory
In this series I have pointed out a bunch of key differences between worship in the Protestant West and in the Orthodox East — architecture, candles, icons, processions and so on. I fear, though, that even with all these things in mind, many Protestants will have a hard time on a first visit to an […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (pt. 5): Drama vs Narrative
If you read last week’s post in this series, you know my musical metaphor: Orthodox worship is to jazz as Western worship is to a singer-songwriter concert. There are several individuals and groups which, like instruments or sections, pick up important themes in turn, transforming each theme and adding to it. On your first visit […]
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